Russia threatens to block Telegram messaging app

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Two men pose with smartphones in front of a screen showing the Telegram logo in this picture illustration taken in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina November 18, 2015. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia’s communications regulator Roskomnadzor on Friday accused the Telegram messaging app of violating Russian legislation and said it could be blocked if it did not provide it with information about the company that controls Telegram.

Roskomnadzor’s head, Alexander Zharov, said in a letter published on the regulator’s website that time was running out for Telegram to provide the necessary information.

Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, said the app was not blocked in any other countries, adding that if the app is banned in Russia then the government officials will entrust their communications to other countries’ messengers.

“As soon as Telegram is blocked, the correspondence of the Russian officials, their communication with friends and relatives as well as other sensitive data via WhatsApp/Viber will move to America-controlled clouds Apple iCloud/Google Drive,” he wrote in his VKontakte social network page.